Leadership
Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.
Leadership
Our owners and management team are experienced professionals who lead with care and compassion.
Introduction
Meet Our Owners
Hal Baumchen | PSYD, LP, LADC
President, Clinical Director, and Co-Occurring Disorders Specialist
Dr. Hal Baumchen is a psychologist, author, and speaker. He is the President and Clinical Director of NorthStar Regional. A Licensed Clinical Psychologist (LP) with over 30 years (30,000+ hours) of counseling experience, he was also the founder and executive director of Northland Counseling Services. He received his master’s Degree from Wheaton Graduate School and his Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD) from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, and is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor (LADC) and received his certificate in Co-Occurring Disorders from Adler Graduate School. He is the author of Journeys, a co-occurring disorders resource manual, Destinations, a practical guide for overcoming addictions and improving your mental health, the Destinations Companion Workbook, and he coauthored Finding Hope Again: Overcoming Depression with Dr. Neil T. Anderson. He is the author and founder of Journey to Recovery, a resource site with materials for the treatment of co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders.
Jason Vanderscoff | LADC
Chief Executive Officer
Jason is the CEO of NorthStar Regional and was formerly the CEO of Five Stars Recovery Center. He is a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC). His responsibilities include overall strategy, program development, financial oversight and provider contracting. Jason has also served as the CEO of CD Recovery Services, DRS Acquisitions, and Cx Technology Services. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
Thomas Winegarden | MD
Owner
Dr. Thomas Winegarden is a Board Certified Adult and Addictions Psychiatrist. He received his degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and has his own practice in Chanhassen, MN. Dr. Winegarden has served at Hazelden Treatment Center, Center City, MN since 1994 and serves as staff psychiatrist at Fairview Southdale Hospital. His clinical interests include bipolar, depression, anxiety disorders, attention deficit disorder, and addictions in adults.
Introduction
Meet Our Management Team
Brian Loots | LADC
Chief Operations Officer
Jonathan Holt
Director of Marketing
Jonathan Holt is the Director of Marketing at NorthStar Regional. His experience includes over 30 years of marketing, communications, and operations experience in both traditional and digital marketing. He was previously the Director of Marketing at ESCO, before that he oversaw international marketing operations at Starkey Hearing Technologies. Jonathan holds a degree in Advertising from Collins College in Tempe, Arizona.
Yvonne Gennrich
Finance Manager
Yvonne brings a wide range of experience to her position at NorthStar Regional. She previously served as the Finance Manager at Northland Counseling Services, where she was instrumental in the merging of operations between that organization and NorthStar Regional. She was the Controller at Cook County North Shore Hospital & Care Center in Grand Marais, MN, for 15 years, where she was responsible for all financial operations.
Jamie Cox | MSW, LICSW
Director of Clinical Services
Jamie Cox, a Licensed Independant Clinical Social Worker who earned his master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, is NSR’s Mental Health Clinical Supervisor. The first 16 years of his career were dedicated to working with adolescents and their families in an Intensive Outpatient Patient (IOP) setting for co-occurring Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders. Jamie’s specialization in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) supports his passion and expertise in working with individuals who have experienced trauma.
Lea Atkinson | MA, LADC, LPCC
Managing Director, Currently Otsego Program Director
Lea Atkinson is NorthStar Regional’s Managing Director. As a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) and a Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC), Lea has numerous years of experience working in diverse environments and has been involved in both mental health and co-occurring programs.
Throughout her career, she has kept client-centered care as her focus and leads with compassion and empathy. Lea is a graduate of St. Mary’s University in Minneapolis.
Jessica Hart | LADC
Women’s Residential Program Director
Jessica Hart is the director of NorthStar Regional’s Women’s Residential Treatment Center in Chaska, MN. A Summa Cum Laude graduate of Argosy University, she began working in the recovery field as a technician with Pride Institute in 2014, and has also served at The Haven in Shakopee, MN, at NSR’s Chanhassen Co-occurring Disorder program and at our Sugar Creek campus. She believes in fostering a supportive environment to help clients feel safe in order to build a good therapeutic alliance.
John McGinnis | LADC
Sugar Creek Campus Program Director
John McGinnis, the director at NSR’s Sugar Creek campus in Chaska, has been working in the chemical dependency field for 25 years. His treatment experience includes work with adults and adolescents at Fountain Centers, Addiction Recovery Technologies, and Village Ranch. John was previously admissions director for Five Stars Recovery Center and for NorthStar Regional.
Rich Smith | LADC
Men’s Residential Program Director
Rich Smith is the Program Director at NorthStar Regionals MI/CD Men’s Residential Treatment Center in Shakopee, MN. Rich has worked with Five Stars Recovery and, now NorthStar Regional for the last five years. Starting as an ADC-T Counselor with the evening IOP programs, Rich has continued to grow with the organization. He has developed throughout this organization to become the recent Program Director for the Men’s Residential Program in Shakopee. Rich is excited to be a part of this organization and is dedicated to NSR’s mission, vision, and core values. He is focused on staff development and improving the quality of care for all clients.
